THE INFAMOUS INTERVIEW
by Ballyuk
Summary: As the title suggests, this is about the missing scenes from 8x15 (Infamous), where Clark divulges his secret to Lois in order for her to write his story and thwart Linda Lake's exposé.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I do not own the characters.

* * *

 **THE INFAMOUS INTERVIEW.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1.**

Sometimes, you discover things in life that can flip your world view upside down in a matter of moments. Everything you thought you knew goes right out of the window in a matter of seconds. Long-held prejudices have no grounds on which they can be supported. The tooth fairy was really one of your parents sneaking into your room at night. Santa Claus is not real. The Earth is round not flat, and it revolves around the sun, not vice versa. Clark Kent is an alien with super powers, not just a Kansas farmboy turned mild-mannered reporter.

The last few minutes in the supply room were just such an occasion for Lois. She had only gone in there to get some more paper for the printer, and also in an attempt to brush off Clark's latest lame excuses for why he hadn't picked her up from the airport instead of leaving her waiting in the rain. Of all the reasons he could give for committing such an egregious error, claiming to be Metropolis' anonymous Good Samaritan really took the cake. And yet he could prove it beyond all doubt.

Clark was the last person Lois would have thought of to be the new hero in town, even though she had long felt him to have a hero complex, and yet as he reeled off a list of abilities and occasions when he'd used those abilities, Lois was struck by another thought, and this one had its roots in her personal devastation following events at her cousin Chloe's wedding. She had been so certain that Clark was the one and that he'd finally been able to move beyond previous relationships which had left him blinkered and then broken, and that they both wanted what had obviously been there long before that fateful day. The awe and admiration upon learning about Clark's abilities was expected, but what was not expected was the tinge of disappointment that she worked hard to mask. It was there though, gnawing away in the background.

The life of a hero meant sacrificing their personal happiness because it was a calling over and above that of the average Joe. How could a hero go about being…well, a _hero_ …if personal attachments were holding them back? This must have been why Clark couldn't move forward until Lana was out of his life. Despite the blinkers, his status meant he had a calling that had to override any commitment to a personal relationship. Ultimately, he could never put Lana first, not without overlooking what was going on around him. And therein lay Lois' sense of disappointment. If she were ever to pursue a relationship with Clark, she would still be secondary and be left behind all too frequently, just as she had been by any other guy she'd gotten close to. One day, she would have to let him go. She could never believe she would be worthy of somebody so special.

Just a few minutes earlier however…

"About the meteors..." Clark began, prompting Lois to turn back and listen intently at what more he had to say. What she'd learned in the past few minutes already represented the biggest bombshell ever. The mild-mannered copyboy who sat across from her desk - her best friend, 'Smallville' - was the selfless and anonymous hero who'd been cleaning up the streets of Metropolis and providing a symbol of hope for its citizens over the past few months. He was the Red-Blue Blur. "…we should talk about where I'm from."

The seriousness on his face left her in no doubt that this was the real biggie. The impact of that little statement was so seismic she felt like her heart had skipped a beat. She raised her hand to her chest, the shock evident on her face, her jaw almost hitting the floor. She staggered backwards, suddenly feeling light-headed, her other hand grasping for the door handle just so she could maintain her balance. Was he saying that he was not from this planet? Because that is what it sounded like.

Clark never took his eyes off her, trying to gauge her reaction. Her response to him revealing his range of abilities had been better than he could ever have imagined, yet still oh so Lois. From initially laughing in his face, then reacting with shock followed by awe, leading to a line of questioning as her interest grew, he felt relieved that she'd taken the news so amazingly well. Finally, he could see a sense of pride that he'd chosen her of all people to tell his story, and that he trusted her. It was a complete 180 from her earlier anger with him for failing to pick her up from the airport as promised. Right now though, he couldn't be sure if she was going to pass out or not.

Eventually, Lois was able to speak. "You mean to say you came _with_ the meteors?"

Clark smiled and nodded. That was exactly what he was saying.

"I…uh…I…wow!" she whispered breathlessly, blinking repeatedly. Smallville was an alien! Trying to focus on something in the room in order to get a handle on the emotions whirling around inside her head, her eyes kept drifting back to him and she found herself staring at him, perhaps to see if she could spot the non-human aspects of his appearance. She drew a blank. He looked perfectly human and, well, Clark-like. For an alien, he had the best disguise ever. There was no hint of little green man or one of those bug-eyed creatures lying on a slab at Area 51.

Clark could sense that he needed to take charge of the situation because Lois looked to be completely in a daze. "Lois, I know you have a lot of questions and I'd like to answer them all as truthfully as possible. Maybe we need to go somewhere quiet so we can talk."

Lois shook her head as if to clear the fog before replying. "Uh…right, yeah. Well, I think I need to reassign my other stuff and run this by Tess."

She opened the door to step out of the supply room, vacantly glancing around as though the place were new to her. Clark was alarmed.

" I should come with you. What are you going to say to her?" There was a hint of desperation in his voice.

Lois turned back. "I don't know. I'll think of something. Don't worry, I have no intention of outing you before we've had a chance to talk."

Everything she'd been furious about earlier just cleared from her mind as though it was trivial and had no bearing in the grand scheme of things. Thinking it through logically, there were any number of ways she could have got back from the airport much sooner - one of the many shuttle buses for example. Traipsing to and from the parking lot during the downpour trying to locate Clark in the rain had been needless, and waiting in line at the taxi rank with no umbrella and barely any shelter from the elements could easily have been avoided too. The driver had conveniently got lost on the way into the city, going past the Daily Planet once before rounding the block and back to where she'd wanted to be dropped off. The driver had overcharged her after taking the 'scenic' route, he wasn't interested in helping her with her bags, he'd overdone it with the pot pourri air freshener and he'd driven through a large puddle once Lois had alighted from the cab. All of that paled into insignificance now as she considered that Clark was probably saving lives at that very same time.

Clark felt somewhat reassured that she was at least thinking clearly so he followed her out of the room. Lois grabbed the stack of assignments from her desk before heading for the elevator. Next stop was Tess Mercer's office.

* * *

Tess' office door was open having just despatched an underling to carry out an order. She was standing behind her desk looking out of the window at the rainy city beyond. As usual, her hair and attire gave off the impression that she was all business, with little time for frivolity or reporters not doing their job. She appeared to be deep in thought so didn't hear the footsteps of two reporters from the bullpen entering her office.

Lois cleared her throat loudly, getting Tess' attention.

"Lois! Good to see you're back," Tess offered in a tone notable for its complete lack of warmth or sincerity. "I know how you like to bury your nose in other people's business so I passed off some assignments that would be right up your alley."

Tess could see that Lois looked a little drained of colour. Could it be that she'd received some bad news? Maybe she was finding the job too much to handle? After her extended break, was she after a period of sick leave? Clark was standing beside her, hands in pockets and wearing an inscrutable expression. Tess had become familiar with that look because it signified that he would be clamming up, straight-batting her enquiries. Lois nodded to the assignments she was currently holding.

"Yeah, about that. You'll need to pawn these off onto someone else because I have another lead that will bring you a major scoop. And when I say 'major', I mean _major_."

Tess turned right round, slowly settling herself into her chair. She nodded for Lois to continue, sceptical as to the significance of whatever it was that had piqued Lois' interest. Then again, Lois had spent the past few weeks holed up in Star City, and her über-inquisitive nature might have led her to something newsworthy. In her time under the LuthorCorp management structure, Tess had learned that it was best to hear out the other party before giving them her decision, even if she'd already made her decision. The possibility of new information coming to light, or simply gaining an insight into what made people tick made it prudent to wait just long enough to learn as much as possible.

"The Red-Blue Blur has been in contact with me. He would like me to conduct an interview and put across his side of the story. He wants people to know why he does what he does, and why he's been doing this anonymously so far. If I meet him now, I could have the story on your desk by tonight," Lois explained.

"Oh really?" Tess piped up sceptically. "How do you know for sure it was him?"

Lois had to think on her feet. How would she explain how it was definitely the Red-Blue Blur? She remembered when the murderous meteor freak Sebastian Kane attacked her in her apartment, and decided that was the most plausible way to convince Tess.

"He saved me from an attacker recently. No-one else could have known about it because there was no-one else there at the time. I never told anybody about the attack, but the person calling as the Red-Blue Blur knew the exact details."

"I see," said Tess, still sceptical. "Well, what did he sound like?"

Clark shifted his weight, uncomfortable with how this was going. If it looked like Tess was going to nix any chance of a story in the Daily Planet, it would give Linda Lake the advantage. He was in a difficult position because he couldn't indicate that Lois was referring to him right now - at least not before the story got the go-ahead. He continued to observe the exchange between the two women.

Lois was again surprisingly quick with the plausible explanation. "I don't know Tess. He was using something to disguise his voice. But the things he talked about had a level of detail that the public couldn't possibly know about. That's how I'm convinced it is genuine."

Clark made a mental note to consider using a voice changer like Oliver did. If Tess refused to approve the story, he might need a disguise to try and distance Clark Kent from the Red-Blue Blur.

Tess put on her best poker face. Was Lois playing games? It wouldn't have escaped people's attention that the two didn't get along and frequently butted heads, seeking alpha female dominance. And as for the mysterious Red-Blue Blur, how and why had he contacted Lois of all people to grant her an exclusive? The newspaper had any number of big league reporters far more qualified for the task, and the city's hero surely must have rescued them at some point, such was the level of crime in Metropolis. Would they not be a better bet for such a huge story? No, the mystery Good Samaritan wanted to speak to a bullpen-dwelling irritant instead. He might be heroic but he was none too bright, Tess opined. And why had Lois bypassed her direct superior, the City Editor Randall Brady?

"And what does Randall have to say about this?" asked Tess, keeping her cards close to her chest.

"No offence but I think a potential scoop this big is above Randall's pay grade. I came straight to the top. Tess, you know it makes sense. This could be the biggest story the paper's had in years, and it's your name on the door. Circulation could go through the roof on your watch. You could make a name for yourself as Editor rather than just be seen as another Lex Luthor fembot."

Clark was impressed. He surmised that Lois must have spent a lot of time thinking up how to track down the Red-Blue Blur while she was in Star City, but she couldn't have been planning this given that he'd only just told her. Yet here she was, holding her own against the boss and making a reasoned argument, closing off any angles for Tess to protest, buttering her up by appealing to her leadership side and yet not missing the chance to throw in a barb or two. There was a game being played here, and Lois was clearly _au fait_ with the rules.

Tess considered the proposal. Ordinarily, she wasn't given to her reporters trying to pass off assignments, and she certainly wasn't given to allowing Lois Lane to throw jibes in her direction without a retort, but Lois had a point. Tess couldn't deny that she was interested in learning more about the Red-Blue Blur even if she had her suspicions. She glanced over to Clark.

"And what about you, Clark? What's your part in this?"

"Lois wants me to tag along and take notes. 'Learning on the job, Smallville' were her exact words," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He looked every bit like the junior reporter he was. A deliberate ploy to disguise any trace of hero or indeed alien.

Lois stifled a smirk. Clark's answer, though a blatant lie, was very sharp and left no room for doubt. He was learning fast.

"You can meet this Red-Blue Blur and file a copy with me by the end of the day, you say?" Tess turned to address Lois.

"I think I can get him to agree to a picture too."

Tess placed her elbows on the desk and knitted her fingers together, casting her eyes over the two reporters. Whatever they had, it must be legit. Leaning back, she summarised in her head the state of play as she saw it, and then placed her demands.

"OK. Have it ready by the end of today. Take Clark with you. I'll reassign your workload through Randall. Oh and Lois? Don't let me down on this one. I want it ready for the morning edition. If the scoop is as big as you say it is, there's no point sitting on it."

"Tess, this is the front page of all front pages. Once this story breaks, I'll be expecting a promotion and a new office." Lois plopped the stack of assignments on Tess' desk, then she and Clark made their exit without waiting to see Tess' response to that little demand.

Tess grinned as she observed them leaving. As much as she loved to put people in their place, she also loved a bit of verbal sparring, before putting those people in their place too. It would be extra sweet if it was Lois as Tess could see why Lex found her to be such an irritation. Lois had an uncanny ability to get under your skin, but that also made her one of the sharpest investigators at the Daily Planet. Tess didn't believe anything much would come of this story, and there was a part of her hoping Lois would crash and burn. Once that happened, Lois would be even further away from a promotion than she currently was. If Lois managed to come up trumps, Tess would deal with that situation then.

As Clark and Lois headed back down to the bullpen in the elevator, Clark asked if she was really going to use pictures. It was beginning to dawn on him that an article laying bare the truth about Clark Kent would have far-reaching consequences. As Chloe had earlier pointed out, he could wave goodbye to the privacy he currently enjoyed because he'd become a celebrity. Still, beating Linda Lake to the punch was the goal here.

"I just said that to get Tess onside," Lois explained. "We can use your Daily Planet headshot if she insists on a picture. The story should be about you, not what you look like."

Stepping into the bullpen, Lois grabbed her coat and bag and Clark grabbed his jacket. Both wanted to conduct this chat away from prying eyes, but each had a different idea as to where. Neither felt the Daily Planet was the best place to do so. They couldn't just sneak into an empty office and hope not to be spotted as there was always somebody in the vicinity who might see them. There were also a number of gossip-mongers just itching to start a rumour about two attractive reporters from the bullpen spending some 'alone time' in another office. While Lois didn't care what anyone thought, she could do without the whispers behind her back and the feeling that people were looking at her when they thought she wasn't looking. For Clark, he was trying to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to himself.

"Where are we going?" Clark asked as he paced behind Lois out of the bullpen.

"I was thinking the Ace of Clubs. It's nearby and nobody bothers you there. Why, do you have a better idea?" Lois walked quickly towards the elevator as Clark continued to keep pace. She had a spring in her step once more, the way she usually did when she was chasing a story, her ponytail swishing from side to side as she walked.

"Actually I do. You don't suffer from motion sickness do you?" Clark asked pointedly.

He glanced around the floor and summoned up his x-ray vision to make sure nobody was watching. The other staff and reporters were all busy and nobody was paying attention to the hall. The coast was clear.

"No. Why?"

With that, Clark scooped Lois up into his arms, causing her to yelp in surprise. Before she had any idea what had happened, they had super-sped their way to Smallville and the Kent farm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

Setting Lois down once they reached the barn, Clark made sure he had a good grip as she grabbed hold of his arms tightly. She was very unsteady on her feet as her brain tried to make sense of the speed at which she'd just travelled. The human body needed rigorous training to adapt to travelling at mach speeds, and she'd not had that training. They didn't have one of those centrifuge machines that created extreme G-forces at any of the military bases she'd lived at, for obvious reasons, so there was no opportunity for her to sneak around and try to see things for herself. It wasn't like breaking into a tank on Prom night. Driving her car like she'd stolen it was no substitute either - she'd just gone from A to B quicker than she could think. A second ago, they were standing next to the elevator in the basement at the Daily Planet.

Though she could tell they were back at the farm, the familiar dark stained timbers were spinning in her vision. She willed herself not to throw up as she felt the brief onset of nausea. Not all of it was down to travelling at the speed of whatever. The last time she'd seen the barn, a monster from who knows where had gone on the rampage during Chloe and Jimmy's wedding reception, leaving a trail of destruction. The last time she'd stood in the middle of the barn, she was having her heart broken on the dance floor. Whatever happy memories she'd held about this enclosed space - and it _was_ a space she had become fond of over the years - had been replaced by ones she wanted desperately to forget. Crippling physical pain for so many, but devastating emotional pain for her.

Clark could see the expression on her face - the exact same wide-eyed, open-mouthed awestruck expression as when he'd lifted the desk while she was standing on it. He found the child-like sense of wonderment adorable. In recent months, there was so much of her that he'd become extremely fond of. Her reaction whenever she'd been rendered speechless brought a smile to his face, and only partly because it was extremely rare for Lois to be rendered speechless by anything. She usually found a way to fill any silences. There was also the way she tried desperately to keep the colour from flushing her cheeks when caught in an embarrassing situation, such as when she listened to her own drunk-dial messages following Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party.

When Lois allowed her emotional vulnerability to peer out over the 50-foot high wall she surrounded herself with, Clark could get a sense of the real person behind the bravado and snarkiness. He liked the real person behind the wall because that person was brave, selfless and caring to an extraordinary degree. Despite her best efforts, Clark was one of the few people Lois would open up to. When she was like that, it was impossible not to warm to her. It was also difficult not to fall for her.

In truth, it was the little things that he'd missed over the past month while she'd been away. There was nobody to call him 'Smallville', and nobody to offer a huge beaming grin after supposedly putting him in his place. He would return to his desk and find the cup of coffee he'd brought in still sitting there rather than on the desk opposite. Said desk looked neat and tidy instead of cluttered and disorganised, and he found that disconcerting. Walking into the bullpen this morning and seeing the mess again had given him a sense of relief to temper the nervousness caused by what he was about to do.

Then there was the feeling he got when he held Lois in his arms. It was a strange feeling - not exactly a romantic spark of electricity, but a sense that it felt nice to have her there. Not only that, but it felt _right_. Clark had noticed this strange sensation a couple of times in the past when rescuing Lois, first from nearly drowning and then from nearly being electrocuted. He'd felt this strange sensation when Jor-el sent him to an alternate universe where Lex was President of the United States, and Lois was a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter at the Daily Planet. He had got this strange sensation when taking care of a drunken Lois following Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party. Most recently, he had got this strange sensation when carrying Lois back into the hospital after the Phantom Zone spirit of Faora had been banished once more. On each occasion, he was determined to make sure that Lois was alright. Maybe it was just his innate urge to help her when she was at her most vulnerable.

Now wasn't the time to think about all that though, because there was a very important discussion to be had.

"Lois, are you alright?"

"Holy crap, that was unbelievable!" she gasped to herself.

"You look like you're about to pass out. Can I get you some water?" he asked, concerned.

Lois brushed it off, finally letting go of Clark and steadying herself unaided.

"I'll be alright. At least that explains why you always managed to finish your chores so quickly."

"Right," he nodded. "What say we go up to the loft so you can sit down. Seriously Lois, you look about ready to fall over any second."

Lois agreed, slowly heading up the staircase and into the quiet confines of the loft. Wherever she looked, it suddenly made so much sense. The interest in the stars was clearly something more than a hobby. It was Clark looking out to the vast cosmos for something to do with his origins, so the telescope had a greater significance in Clark's life than she realised. The air in the loft felt a touch humid and looking out through the open loft window, it was clearly still raining heavily. Checking her coat, Lois realised there wasn't a single drop of rain on her. Facing Clark as he followed her up the stairs, he also looked as though he hadn't been out in the rain at all. So many questions were running through her mind but the one now shouting loudest was also the strangest one to bring up first. She proceeded as she removed her coat, sitting down on the couch.

"Hey, does your mom know you're about to go public?"

That stopped Clark dead in his tracks. _Mom!_ If he went public without telling her, she was going to be faced with all sorts of questions. The media scrutiny would be unrelenting and she'd be totally unprepared for it. Her position could become untenable if there was even a suggestion that she'd mislead the powers-that-be. Lois was right. He had to let his mom know before anything got published, if only as a damage limitation exercise.

"I hadn't thought about it. So far, I've only told Chloe about going public."

"OK," replied Lois, taking her notepad and pen out of her bag. "I won't submit a word until your mom gives the all-clear. This could be huge for her too. I realise now that she's been keeping this under wraps for so long, and I understand why. If word got out about who you really are, people could use the ones you care about to get to you."

Clark leaned against the railing, stunned. When he'd first pondered the idea of telling Lois and going public with his secret, clearly there were a number of issues he hadn't considered. Had he panicked and allowed Linda Lake's threats to get to him all too easily? Perhaps the biggest reason why he'd kept quiet about his secret, Lois was piecing together just like that. She understood his dilemma. He got the feeling that while she wanted to tell his story, protecting him from the ramifications was even more important. She hadn't voiced her concerns as doubts like Chloe had, but the basic point was still the same. Lives would be changed forever.

"If we're gonna start somewhere, we might as well start at the beginning. Why are you choosing to come out now?"

Again, Clark was amazed at the line of questioning. Lois had obviously picked up on there being an underlying reason for his sudden decision to tell his story, and she wanted to know what it was. Did she think something had happened while she was away? Did she suspect that he was being blackmailed? It was all so out of the blue, looking at it from her point of view, that it was logical to think that he might have been forced into it due to external influences. He slowly walked over to the loft window, looking out at the dark clouds in the sky, the rain pelting down onto the fields below, and the horizon of uncertainty.

"Linda Lake."

"What, the gossip columnist? How did she know about you? Is she blackmailing you?" Lois fired off.

"Yes. I'll come to that. And Yes. In that order," he answered. Going off the flash of anger that hit her eyes, he continued.

"When you got back to the bullpen, Linda Lake stopped me outside to tell me she'd penned an article outing me as an alien from another planet. She wanted the inside scoop on everything I did as the Red-Blue Blur, or else she would go public with her claims."

Lois knew about Linda's penchant for salacious scoops, throwing people under the glare of the media spotlight with no care for the consequences, or of the lives that would be ruined in the process. How did she come to find out about Clark? Lois had lived under the same roof as him for a while and was now working alongside him, and she'd never suspected any of what she'd learned this morning. The hero complex and the sense of right and wrong should have been obvious clues but Clark's penchant for moping tended to negate the idea that he was something more than he portrayed himself to be. Like his appearance, the cover was effective.

"Clark, how did _she_ know all this?"

Clark paused in thought for a second. What would Lois do if she knew about what Linda Lake was capable of? He had no desire to protect Linda's secret but the important thing here was to protect his own, even though he was effectively coming out. This was not about Linda but about him. He chose to play it cagey and not reveal any of what he knew about Linda Lake. That could be a tale for another day if desperate times called for desperate measures.

"It seems as though she has sources all over the place," he began cautiously. "Everything she knew about me was true. I don't know how she found out about me, but back when Lex proposed to Lana, Chloe spoke to her before she'd chosen to accept. Whatever they'd discussed in private ended up getting published in Linda's column, quoted verbatim, even though Chloe insists she hadn't spoken to anyone about it. Not even me."

Lois had a vague recollection of a gossip article suggesting that Lana was stalling on Lex's marriage proposal because she still carried a torch for Clark. Lois had no fondness for Lex and felt Lana's drift towards him was highly questionable, but neither they nor Clark deserved to have their personal lives played out in the public eye. Clark's life was none of Linda's business now either. Lois was angry.

"Maybe I should have a few words with her."

"Lois, no," insisted Clark. "Even though she's got me cornered, I've decided to try and beat her to the punch. That's why I want my side of the story made public and give people a chance to see who the Red-Blue Blur really is, instead of Linda Lake's twisted version."

"In that case, before I start asking the real questions for the interview, I need to know one thing. Apart from your parents, Lana and Chloe, who else knows about your secret?"

Clark was confused. "I don't see what-"

"Same deal as with your mom," Lois interjected. "Once you go public, the media will take a keen interest in everyone around you. I think it's best to let them know before the press try and turn their lives upside down."

"That goes for you too, Lois. Are you sure you can handle the extra scrutiny?"

"I guess we'll find out," Lois offered. "But we still need to cover our bases before we put you in the spotlight."

He sighed, knowing she was right. "OK, well there's Pete Ross, my best friend growing up, then Oliver, Lionel and Lex."

That an old childhood friend might know a thing or two about Clark was not unexpected - Lois was familiar with Pete by name though she had never met him, and she knew that he and Clark had been close thanks to numerous anecdotes from Chloe, who was also close to Pete - but her eyebrows shot up at the mention of Oliver and the Luthors. She decided to keep her own counsel on how and why Oliver would know about Clark's secret. She had yet to determine if anyone else knew of Oliver's own alter ego. The Luthor angle, however, was more interesting.

"Lex and Lionel? They're both dead aren't they?"

"Yes," he answered, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Lionel's death was public knowledge and Lois had even investigated into it. The tale of Lex was a thorny issue for Clark. His one-time good friend had resurfaced in recent weeks, unseen and yet still manipulating situations. The rig he'd been hiding out in had been blown up, killing him, and Clark had yet to determine who was behind it. He had his suspicions.

Lois sensed from Clark's mood that a lot of terrible things had happened in Metropolis while she was away, and while she wanted to know more about them, there was a more pressing matter here. Clark's story needed to be told before Linda Lake's poison pen could tarnish him. She flipped open her notepad and appeared to be poring over the contents, skimming through the pages before finding the appropriate one. She also took out her recorder, placing it on the table beside her and switching it on. "This could get really complicated. How about we start with how you found yourself here on Earth."

Clark leaned against the open loft window. He'd had much the same discussion with Chloe a few years ago, and it was funny in a way that he was now about to tell her cousin the same thing. There was a time not so long ago when he and his parents would go out of their way to ensure Lois remained unaware of his special abilities. It was initially due to a suspicion that Lois could be unintentionally loose-lipped, and her nomadic existence could put her in the vicinity of more inquisitive minds and hidden agendas. Having gotten to know Lois over the past few years, and knowing how she had never divulged anything to do with Oliver's secret identity, his opinion on whether she could be trusted had changed. She had become one of the integral figures in his life. There was still the issue of protecting her from herself.

"OK, well here goes. I was born light years away on a planet called Krypton. The planet's inhabitants were known as Kryptonians, and my real name is Kal-el. My parents - my birth parents - were called Jor-el and Lara."

Lois raised her hand. "I'm sorry. You're using the past tense. 'Were'?"

"Krypton was about to be destroyed, so my parents sent me to Earth in the ship my father had built, in order to save me. He also believed it was my destiny to help protect people here on Earth. I was just a baby when the ship left Krypton, and I was an infant when I arrived in the first meteor shower. The meteor rocks around Smallville are actually remnants of my home planet."

Lois recognised the downbeat tone of Clark's voice, and she hesitatingly asked the obvious follow-up question. "Clark, what happened to your parents and the others?"

He turned to look her in the eye properly for the first time since they'd come up to the loft, and the sorrow was evident on his face. She understood in that moment how he was probably the only survivor from his home planet. His birth parents had sacrificed themselves in order for him to live. That must have been devastating to learn for him.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry Clark." Lois looked genuinely saddened and her heart went out to him.

"Don't be," he replied, trying to brush it off. "I never knew them, and I have no memories of being on Krypton. I grew up among humans with human values, and that's what I know. My place is here. Mom and dad found me and my ship during that meteor shower. They took me back to the house, and Lionel helped them with the adoption papers. Nobody knew where I'd come from and I didn't have a name. It was mom's idea to name me Clark - her maiden name. Kal-el is what I am, but Clark Kent is who I am."

Lois realised she'd found a new level of admiration for her friend. If someone had told her about a being from another planet living among humans in Kansas and having special powers that mere mortals could only dream of, Clark was probably the last person she'd have suspected of being that person. He'd adopted the most brilliant façade to fool everyone - making himself seem relatively mundane and happy with the simple rural life. Negotiating the choppy waters of the teenage years must have been extra-difficult for him because he had to hide his true self from everybody at the very time when others would be looking to express their true selves.

"Were you born with all these abilities?"

"No, apart from my physical strength and the ability to heal rapidly, I was just like any other child. It's as I got older that I developed my other abilities. My parents did what they could to help me understand what was happening to me but they were staring into the unknown. We were all learning as we went along, and it wasn't without a few teething troubles."

"Like what?"

Clark sighed. His powers had often developed and created embarrassing situations requiring elaborate cover stories. His was often a tale of puberty dialled up to eleven.

"One of my abilities is super-breath. I can exhale pretty hard, and it came about after I picked up a cold after being in a weakened state for a prolonged period. I'd never had a cold or even sneezed before, and then one day I was in the barn working when I felt a sneeze coming on. You were almost hit by a barn door because of me."

Lois went wide-eyed. She'd implied that he'd sneezed when he mentioned the barn door incident earlier, but she'd only remarked flippantly because she could not envisage Clark being the Red-Blue Blur. Her outlandish debut article for the Metropolis Inquisitor was more on the money than first appeared. As it turned out, the incident had indeed been caused by an alien!

"My first story was about that barn door, Clark. My editor wanted me to put an E.T. spin on it to jazz it up, but it turns out that I was actually bang on the money."

Clark nodded before continuing. "The heat vision I mentioned earlier? I was at school in biology class. It was a really hot day and we were all watching a video on reproduction. It just so happened that we had a new biology teacher who was insanely hot. She looked like a supermodel, not a teacher. It was a scorching hot day, the school's air con had gone on the blink, we're watching a video about sex, and we've got a fantasy teacher. I had an 'incident' and set fire to the projector screen."

Lois watched him blanch with embarrassment, putting two and two together. She couldn't help but smile.

"You mean…like…," she said, pointing to his groin as her eyes remained fixed on his.

"Yeah," Clark muttered, acutely embarrassed and not amused. "Only it was my eyes, not..." He couldn't finish that sentence. Was this going in her article?

Lois laughed out loud before pursing her lips when she saw Clark glaring at her. He had heat vision for goodness sake. She didn't want to be lit up like a candle.

"I'm sorry," she replied as she stifled a giggle. "Any others?"

"X-ray vision," he remarked pointedly. Lois again put her arms over her chest which got him grinning again. He'd got his own back.

"I don't use it in that way, Lois. That came about when I was still a freshman in high school. I can see things in x-ray if I focus. I can't see people's...uh, bits...through their clothes."

Lois was relieved about that and was actually having fun with this. Still being able to tease Clark so readily in spite of learning something seismic about him also came as a relief. She didn't want their bickering and bantering to disappear entirely.

"We'd have been reading about the school burning down if you could, I'll bet."

"Fortunately, the heat vision thing kicked in during sophomore year. I don't want to think about what might have happened if I'd developed it during freshman year."

Both fell silent for a second. This time, it was Clark feeling that things were steadily returning to normal, in spite of everything he was now telling Lois. Still being able to banter with Lois even though she now knew she was dealing with an alien came as blessed relief. The earlier fury etched into her features had completely disappeared. There was still the elephant in the room - what happened at the wedding - but he didn't feel he could explain himself just yet. He could also sense that Lois would very quickly change the subject if he so much as hinted at it.

Lois broke the silence, and Clark picked up the tell-tale signs that she was about to tease him once more. There was a glimmer in her eyes and the onset of her Cheshire Cat grin.

"Who knew that guy I found naked in a cornfield would turn out to be the Red-Blue Blur, complete with a history of...premature _eye_ -jaculation?" She congratulated herself inside for thinking up the term.

Clark was bemused, correcting her before insisting, "Eye-jac-? Heat vision, Lois. Heat. Vision. And the bit about the cornfield is _not_ going in your article."

"A good reporter has a duty to their readers to report the facts. Standing in the cornfield with Clark Junior on display is a stone cold fact."

Clark clenched his teeth, willing himself not to blanch or blush at her reference to a specific part of his anatomy. _She really knows which buttons to press!_ "Oh really?"

"Really."

"Well, in that case, it's only right that your readers learn that Mad Dog Lane nearly attacked me once after stepping out of the shower naked as a jaybird," he offered, crossing his arms and daring her to argue.

"What?!"

"That's right. The twins on display as you stood there ready to pounce."

Lois was gobsmacked. Was she hearing this right? Clark was actually openly and suggestively commenting on her body? When did he become so bold and confident? And who exactly coined the nickname she'd heard in hushed tones during water cooler chats, as well as that one email she'd accidentally been copied into? 'Mad Dog Lane' made her sound like some insane cartoon character. Clark, while outwardly oozing confidence, was himself internally questioning just where that had come from. It was very out-of-character for him even though he liked to tease her.

"Hey, what's that got to do with it?"

Clark grinned mischievously. "Oh, I'm only mentioning a stone cold fact. I might be from another planet but I'm still a guy. We don't forget things like that!"

Lois squirmed on the couch. She had thought about Clark and his impressive physique many times, not that she would ever admit to such a thing, but now she was aware that he'd memorised what she looked like naked too. This interview needed to get back on track pronto. She cleared her throat but there was still one little thing bothering her.

"So anyway, moving on..."

Clark nodded to imply that it was a wise choice but secretly he was glad he could move on from that embarrassing episode too. He felt that Lois wouldn't put such an embarrassing tale in her article when she knew Clark had a juicy anecdote of his own. Actually he had more than one. Even now, the sight of the Stars & Stripes sometimes made her wince. And she had no idea what had happened after Chloe and Jimmy's engagement party.

"...Mad Dog Lane?"

He smiled. "A good reporter never reveals their source."

She had to admit he had her there. He was learning fast. Spotting a football wedged in beside the pile of books on the small table next to the couch, Lois reached over to grab it and tossed it to Clark, who caught it with ease. He looked at her curiously.

"So, you have all these super-human abilities. Is that why you gave up a career in football? You were the star quarterback."

"Yeah. At college level, they put the players through every drug test imaginable. How do I explain why the needle breaks every time they want to take a blood sample? How do I provide a urine sample that doesn't show up my different DNA? How do I control my heart rate to match what's normal for that physical? I'd have had to lie and cheat right the way through in order to keep my scholarship and stay on the team. I'd be like Geoff Johns."

Lois bristled at the mention of a name she hadn't heard in years. Geoff Johns was the tail backer for the Met U Bulldogs, and he possessed the ability to paralyse with a single touch. He'd earned himself a reputation for aggressive play by secretly using his abilities and cheating on physicals. When his roommate Coop found out, 'Teflon' paralysed and later killed him to protect his secret. When Lois had started to investigate Geoff in an attempt to clear her name of any responsibility for Coop's original paralysis following an altercation with her, Geoff paralysed and kidnapped her before leaving her to drown in a sewer tunnel. Clark had found and rescued her just in time.

"You saved me from drowning didn't you?"

Clark nodded. Lois sat open-mouthed as the implications of that knowledge sunk in. She knew he'd been involved in her rescue but in an attempt to banish memories of that episode and save herself from sleepless nights, she had never pursued the matter with him. It was clear that had it been anyone but Clark looking for her, they would never have found her until she was just a washed-up and dismembered corpse somewhere in the Mississippi. It was a sobering thought.

Lois stared at a random spot somewhere beside Clark, seemingly lost in thought. Then she blinked and scoffed to bring herself out of her contemplative thoughts.

"All this time I thought you came up here just to mope, but really you were trying to process everything that was happening around you, while at the same time having to grow up. How did you do it?"

Clark moved over to sit on the other end of the couch, leaning forward and putting his hands together. To Lois, he looked like he'd now relaxed, yet she understood that he'd been feeling nervous and a little wary. After all, he was doing something so incredibly far-reaching - a real step into the unknown. He was sharing himself with the world. Of course it would be a daunting prospect.

"Truth is Lois, I had to do it. It's not like I could openly share my thoughts and feelings. Dad knew I'd need a space that was just mine, and that's why he built this place in the loft. Of course, he had a _bit_ of help!" he smiled, making Lois smile in return as he recounted another tale from his youth.

"Living out here on the farm made things a bit easier because we could protect my secret. I could develop and learn to control my abilities. Living in the city, it would be harder to keep away from prying eyes. Plus, this barn makes for a great hiding place."

"Except that whenever I come over to the farm, this is the first place I look for you, and I usually find you right here," said Lois.

Clark shifted in his seat to turn to her. His eyes had that same look she'd seen earlier when he first announced that he was an alien. She sensed another revelation was in the offing.

"Not a hiding place for me, Lois. For my ship."

Lois' hand instantly flew out to grab his arm. He looked down and then back at her, seeing the astonishment on her face once more. It was mixed with a measure of excitement that lit her eyes up and added the faintest trace of colour to her complexion. With the way she was wearing her hair tied back, it also made her ears move up and down in an amusing way. He wished he had a camera handy to take a snapshot because he was so enamoured with that look. He was reminded about why he'd felt such a shift in his feelings during Chloe and Jimmy's wedding. Lois had a radiance about her that captivated him.

"You have a spaceship?!" she replied excitedly.

Clark knew Lois thought it was time for another round of show and tell.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Lois leapt off the couch, excited that she would get to see a spaceship for real. This story was about to get some real traction. The article pretty much wrote itself but with real evidence of a spaceship, it positively screamed Pulitzer in her opinion. This was the stuff that careers were made of.

"Lemme see it! Lemme see it!" she squealed. Gone was the tough chick veneer, replaced by the unquenchable effervescence of a giddy young girl.

"Lois, we used to hide it out on the farm, but it's not here anymore," Clark explained slowly, amused by her obvious excitement.

Said excitement immediately turned into a frown of disappointment, but she coached her features back to inquisitive reporter mode just as quickly. If she couldn't see the spaceship, Clark would at least tell her a little bit about it.

"What happened?"

"It's kinda hard to explain, and maybe it's a story for another time, but my ship just sort of disappeared," said Clark.

What with everything she had learned today, a disappearing spaceship did not even remotely register as a shock. Accepting the far-fetched was now just par for the course. She was already doing what people in tinfoil hats spend years trying to do - communicating with a being from outer space - so why not just go with the flow.

"OK, just the basics then."

Clark stood back up and walked over to the window, looking at the rainy sky outside once more. His mind was replaying events of the day when he first learned of his alien origins from his adopted father.

"When mom and dad found me, dad managed to get my ship onto the truck. He said I lifted the truck back onto its wheels and then picked up my ship, placing it on the truck bed. He covered it up with some old tarp so as not to arouse suspicion. You can imagine what they were thinking when they saw me do that. Here's this little boy wandering alone in the middle of a meteor shower, and he has the strength of ten men. I was too young to remember, but dad said he went out in the middle of the night with one of the horses, hauling the ship over to the storm cellar beside the pasture. He hid my ship down there under the tarp, and I didn't even know about it until I was a freshman at Smallville High."

Lois was surprised. "You didn't know you were an alien until you were 14?"

"I always knew I was different, and my parents had never hidden the fact that I was adopted, but it was still a shock to learn something like that. At the time, I was really upset but I know that my parents were only trying to protect me. They wanted me to have as normal a life as possible and they worked really hard to make sure I would have every opportunity to get a good education. They knew that if it got out that I had all these abilities and that I was an intergalactic traveller, the government would want to send me to some lab to be experimented on."

"So you had to grow up having to hide this big part of yourself, before you could even understand what it was."

"Yeah. At first, I thought my abilities were down to being meteor-infected. Growing up in Smallville, you always heard about people developing strange abilities after exposure to meteor rock. I thought I was one of them. Chloe used to call them meteor freaks and she researched into them for years. You remember her Wall of Weird. I would have been Exhibit A if she'd found out the truth about me sooner."

Lois chuckled. "I know Chloe is into the strange and paranormal but I think she would have accepted you because you were one of her best friends."

"I realise that now, Lois. When I finally told her about me, she'd known something was up for months beforehand but she never said anything. Maybe she was waiting for me to tell her when I thought the time was right."

That little snippet took Lois back to a conversation with Chloe, back when Lois was still at Met U. Chloe had made some cryptic statement about secrets. It was clear to Lois even then that it had something to do with Clark but she never pushed because she believed it wasn't something for her to know unless Clark wanted her to. As nosy as she generally was, she would never pry into someone's private life like that. This was one of the fundamental differences between her and Linda Lake, for one thing.

Clark carried on. "I guess the biggest worry for me was that I wouldn't be accepted for who I am if people learned about what I am. They might not trust me and they'll think I've been lying to them. Chloe accepted me straight away and for that I'll always be grateful. Our friendship has only got stronger but it's come at a price. Chloe became a sort-of sidekick and she spent so long helping me that she couldn't focus on her career at the Planet. I can't tell you how many times she had a great story in the palm of her hand but had to toss it aside because it might put me in the spotlight."

Lois had often wondered why Chloe seemed to lack gumption considering she was working where she had always wanted to be. She could never put her finger on why, but Chloe never appeared to show the hunger to chase down a great story, and goodness knows there had been plenty of opportunities. Metropolis was a magnet for trouble. To anyone watching the two cousins working, they would see Lois buzzing about chasing leads, arguing her case to the editor and putting in the long hours. To watch Chloe would be like watching an intern doing much more menial tasks like filing.

"Chloe was protecting you, Clark," said Lois. "She would have done the same for me because that is who she is. She is prepared to sacrifice her own happiness to protect her friends and family."

"Yes, but I should never have put her in that position. She lost her journalistic mojo, and I feel guilty about that because for as long as I've known Chloe, she's always wanted to be a hotshot investigative reporter. It's also the reason why she and Jimmy broke up that time. She couldn't tell him why she kept running off whenever I needed her, and he always thought her feelings for me were deeper than they were for him. I don't blame Jimmy for feeling insecure because looking at it from his perspective, how else could he have seen it?"

That was a bit of a jolt for Lois considering her cousin and Jimmy had tied the knot so recently. Jimmy's love for Chloe was obviously deep enough to enable them to ride out the bumps in the road. Once Chloe had been found, she had contacted Lois in Star City. Besides the evident relief at hearing her cousin's voice, Lois knew she no longer needed to maintain her role by Jimmy's hospital bedside. She had fulfilled her duty and now Chloe could take over, helping to nurse Jimmy back to health. He was bound to perk up once Chloe was there. And yet, Lois did not feel ready to confront her own issues by returning to Metropolis immediately. She offered to remain in Star City for a little while longer - amid much good-natured grumbling from Jimmy - and to her surprise, Chloe did not put up much resistance. She must have been helping Clark track down the monster that had caused carnage at the wedding. As a married woman, was Chloe still putting Jimmy second?

Clark observed Lois taking in everything he was telling her. He knew that part of her was formulating how to tell his story, but as before, there was something in her demeanour that told him she was also figuring out her role in his life moving forward. He wasn't sure how to verbalise it, but it was a sense that she would look to help him cope with everything he would be facing once his identity and origins were in the public eye. And she could do it without having to make the sacrifices Chloe had because she simply would not allow her life to be put on hold. Lois was only now learning the truth about the man she considered to be her best friend, yet she already had a handle on how it affected _him_. That was a startling revelation for him. For so long, Clark had relied on his parents to help him deal with the ramifications of his unique gifts. Moving into adulthood, he couldn't continue to rely on his mother, and he no longer had his father to offer guidance. Could Lois, in her own weird way, be the person in his life to help him cope with and share the burden? What had seemed far-fetched if not nigh-on impossible not so long ago now looked perfectly reasonable. Could Lois be exactly what he had needed for so long?

The momentary silence was broken when Lois' stomach rumbled loudly. She raised her hand to her mouth as a reflex action, clearly taken by surprise. She was hoping Clark hadn't heard it but judging by how suddenly he'd raised his head, he couldn't have missed it.

"Sounds like somebody's hungry," he said, pointing out the obvious.

"You heard that?" _Ask a silly question._

"Yep. I didn't need my super-hearing to pick that up. Shall we stop and get something to eat? It's about lunchtime anyway."

Lois stretched her arms out on the couch. She'd only had a light breakfast consisting of black coffee hours ago on her flight back from Star City. She was acutely aware that she hadn't eaten anything since, and in all the excitement she had forgotten her regular mid-morning coffee double. She was flagging and her stomach growled in protest once more.

"Yeah, I could use something. I'm really craving a burrito for some reason. One with all the works. Hey, you know what? El Gordo's do a great burrito..."

Clark grinned. "Lois, I can tell when you're asking me something without actually asking it. You want me to speed off to Metropolis, don't you?"

Lois had to laugh. He really did have her sussed. "A little bit!"

"OK, I tell you what. Why don't you head on over to the house and I'll bring us back some great burritos."

"Sounds like a plan," Lois nodded in agreement before making her way down the stairs.

Once they were out of the barn and back in the rain, Lois had an impish grin on her face. Clark narrowed his eyes, knowing that she was cooking something up.

"What?" he asked cautiously, drawing out the word.

"Nothing!" she answered evasively. "Just know that I'll be timing you."

Clark shook his head and before she knew it, he had disappeared before her very eyes. She felt the little gust of wind he'd left in his wake, and stepped back from the small spray of muddy water it had kicked up.

"Huh," she chuckled to herself. "A girl could get used to this."

As she headed on into the house, it really struck her looking around just how normal everything was. What was unusual - in her eyes - was the extraordinary strength of the Kent family unit. Humble almost to a fault, yet incredibly warm and generous, Lois could only marvel at how Mr and Mrs Kent had taken on the responsibility of raising a child who wasn't theirs. More than that, they had taught Clark all the very best that humanity could offer, nurturing him carefully to enable him to embrace it fully yet never taking away from him the essence of his Kryptonian heritage. If a being from another planet was capable of showing such warmth, compassion and understanding, why was it that humans so often went out of their way to demonstrate the opposite?

Taking time to look at the various framed photos around the hall and in the living room, it dawned on Lois that there were no photos showing Lana. She was certain there had been at least one or two the last time she had been in the house. Rightly or wrongly, Clark had tried so hard to maintain a relationship with the girl he had fallen in love with from a ridiculously young age. He needed only to observe his own parents to see how true love and companionship could reward the soul, and maybe wanting the same for himself had left him with the tunnel vision that saw Lana as the be-all and end-all. After all, having loved her for so long, could he really give his heart to anybody else?

Clark was a genuine hero, and yet he wanted above all to be in a loving relationship - to have someone to come home to. His sense of duty might take him away from his loved ones from time to time, but he would always come back because he wanted to. Maybe he needed it to help him deal with the fact that so many people, whether or not they were aware of it, needed _him_.

As Lois glanced over at the photo on the china cabinet, the one depicting Clark decked out in his trademark red jacket, blue t-shirt and jeans beside a smiling Jonathan and Martha Kent, she had an epiphany. Clark's calling as the Red-Blue Blur ticked all the boxes for the typical weekend warrior who would have no time for somebody like her, and yet his approach to it was almost the complete opposite of all the others, and not just because of his extra-terrestrial origins. Her own feelings about him upon learning of his higher calling were also the complete opposite of her usual feelings when faced with such a scenario. Could Clark really need her, as Oliver had hinted at? This was all very different to anything she had felt before.

Lois was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of tiny feet softly treading the wooden floors of the house. She turned towards the kitchen to see Shelby sitting there on his haunches, staring with his head cocked to one side as if questioning her. Try as she might, she would always succumb to talking to the dog, even when pretending to be annoyed and even though she was awaiting the inevitable sneezing fits. If she didn't know any better, Shelby had figured out the best way to get her attention was by not actively seeking it. Her own curiosity and need to fill the silence would take care of the rest.

"I bet you know the whole story, don't you Shel? Smallville made you promise to keep it a secret no doubt."

At that, Shelby straightened his head, licking his lips before laying on the puppy dog eyes. He'd turned them up to eleven, pleading with her to go easy on him for colluding with Clark and not letting the cat out of the bag, so to speak.

Lois smirked. "I swear, I don't know if he gets it from you or you get it from him, but I find it really hard to stay mad when you look at me that way. So cut it out!"

Shelby's life would be changing too once Clark's story went public.

"You're gonna have all the bitches falling at your feet. Quite literally, huh?"

Shelby let out a gentle snort. If he could talk, that would be him saying "Meh!"

"Oh yeah?" she replied, enjoying this little chat with her four-legged friend. "You might feel differently when you're decked out in the red and blue."

Shelby seemed to understand her point and lowered his head accordingly. He did not want to be dressed up and paraded.

"I thought so, Shel. I'm glad to see your loyalty to Smallville doesn't extend to a love of plaid. There are limits."

Lois made her way into the living room and plopped down onto the couch, reaching for the remote control and turning on the television. The news channels were running with some boring story about politics that she held little interest in.

"The news world is gonna get a real shake-up tomorrow if we can get Tess to run our story."

* * *

It was almost 30 minutes before the door to the kitchen opened and Clark strolled in carrying their takeout. Lois was sitting on the couch still flicking through channels while Shelby had nestled on the floor by her feet, just chilling out. She had evidently been making notes and putting together the bones of her article.

"About time you showed up!" Lois grumbled good-naturedly. "I was giving some serious thought to actually making something myself." She did her best to ignore the pained whine coming from her canine companion at that little remark. The dog was too wise for his own good.

Clark put the bags of food on the kitchen counter, and Lois noticed they weren't the brown paper bags El Gordo used. The restaurant was one of her favourite places to eat in Metropolis and she'd ordered from them often enough to know they used brown paper bags for their takeouts and doggy bags.

"I was kinda expecting you to be back in a flash. What happened, did you hit traffic?" snarked Lois.

"There was a line!" Clark defended himself in equally good humour. Then raising his eyebrows mischievously, he added, "Oh, and there was this thing in Oklahoma."

"Okla-?" Lois' own eyebrows rose. "Where did you go?"

"Oaxaca in Mexico," he announced proudly. "When you said you wanted a burrito, I knew just the place. I went there with a friend once."

"You went to Mexico for some authentic Mexican," she exclaimed, nodding in understanding. Raising her eyes up to Clark's, she didn't hide the same tell-tale glint he'd seen just before he'd headed off on his errand. "Well I know where to send you if I want Chinese or Italian!"

The two of them sat on the couch and ate their lunch, with Clark eventually acquiescing to Shelby's pitiful begging for a small scrap of burrito. It was hard to tell if the dog liked the spicy pork and chicken because he didn't ask for any more, but he didn't look like he thought he'd made a big mistake either, like he had that one time when loudly grovelling for the scraps from some buffalo wings Clark and Lois had munched on a few months ago. Maybe Shelby liked a bit of fire in his belly from time to time. It was no steak with mashed potato and gravy, his favourite, but it would do.

"You know," said Lois as she switched off the television, "you might not have a spaceship anymore but I'm pretty sure that thing in the woods was a real spaceship. I found it in one of LuthorCorp's facilities out in Granville but something knocked me out when I got close. It _was_ a force field wasn't it?"

Clark wasn't going to mention Kara's role in that incident but he was ready to proceed with caution if the conversation headed in that direction. After all, Lois was present with him in the Phantom Zone and she had seen Kara there. If Lois were to raise that topic, Clark decided he would answer truthfully. So far her reactions had been immensely positive so maybe she would accept why he'd purposely mislead her. This conversation was off the record in any case.

"You're right. It was a spaceship and it belonged to Kara. She genuinely is my cousin. I'll tell you about her story another time, but yes, that was her ship we found in the woods."

"What happened to it? I never tracked down where it was taken after Granville."

"Like my ship, it disappeared."

"I see," said Lois, narrowing her eyes as though sizing up whether or not Clark was being truthful. "OK, so if Kara is from the same planet as you, does she have the same powers as you?"

"Like I said, maybe Kara's story needs to be kept separate from mine. We still don't know how people will react when they find out about me."

"That nightmarish trip I told you about. Was that all in my head or did it actually happen? It felt so real. She was there too. Something about a mystical portal to another dimension."

Clark sighed. "That was real, Lois."

"Really?"

"Yes. The blue crystal was activated when it was in my possession, and it was meant to send me alone to the Phantom Zone," he explained carefully. This was a tricky subject because Lois had been put in danger.

"I'm sorry Clark. I know it's not relevant to the story but I need to know exactly what happened."

"OK," he began. "When I picked up that crystal, I accidentally activated the key that transports Kryptonians to the Phantom Zone. Because you tried to intervene, you were swept along too. The Phantom Zone is a sort of prison built by my father to house the worst criminals from Krypton. It's supposed to be a fate worse than death because each prisoner is at constant risk of being attacked by others, and because time stands still. The Phantom Zone is a plain of existence rather than a physical place like a planet. You were scared, and you had every right to be. The Phantom Zone is no place for a human."

Lois remembered how terrified she'd felt when she believed they were trapped in this hostile environment. It was more desolate than anywhere on Earth, and she'd been consumed by a feeling of impending doom. It was Clark's calm reassurance that had stopped her from completely losing her mind, and it was the first time she realised that Clark made her feel safe. As much as she liked to claim she could take care of herself, Clark's reassurance was most welcome.

"I still don't know what happened. I remember Kara sending me through this portal but after that, my mind's a blank. What really happened to me?" Lois asked.

Clark stood up and wandered over to the window, taking a moment to peer out at the cloudy sky. It was situations like he was about to explain that caused him endless anxious nights because people around him were put in greater danger.

"Those exiled in the Phantom Zone are constantly looking to get out if one of the portals are opened. If we're not careful, these wraiths can escape and take possession of another body. Kara was reluctant to open the portal knowing what could happen, but I convinced her that no matter what happens, we had to make sure you made it back home. When Kryptonians are sent there, they don't have any powers so Kara and I were just as vulnerable as you were. The difference is that we knew what to do there. Unfortunately, one of these wraiths made it through the portal and possessed you after you got through. For a while there, you had Kryptonian powers too."

"Wow!" she breathed. "I didn't...you know, _do_ anything did I?"

"Do you want the long version or just the cliff notes?" asked Clark wearily. Lois' almost imperceptible shrug of the shoulders indicated that she wanted him to merely fill in the blanks in her memory instead of a play-by-play.

"The phantom that possessed you is named Faora. She is the wife of a Kryptonian warlord named Zod, who was once good friends with my father. When I ran into you at the hospital, as Faora you told me about your son and how he would destroy the world. The creature that attacked us at the wedding is Faora and Zod's son - Doomsday. I've been trying to track Doomsday since then but so far, apart from a possible attack at the Ace of Clubs, there has been no sighting of Doomsday. I'm sorry you got pulled into this whole mess but the upside is that I got to find out first hand exactly what I'm going up against."

"So the attack in the barn wasn't just a random occurrence. This Doomsday was seeking you out. So why kidnap Chloe then? And what happened to this Faora phantom?"

"Lois, this is more complicated and I would prefer to address it when Chloe is here. After what happened to Jimmy, I think he has a right to know too. As for Faora, Kara and I banished her to the Phantom Zone using another crystal once we'd returned through the portal. We would have needed our powers to deal with her."

"OK," replied Lois, realising it was best not to push too much too soon. There was also the small matter of remaining focussed on the real reason for the article - thwarting Linda Lake.

"Why do I get the feeling I've heard the name Zod before?" she mused out loud.

"Zod's spirit escaped the Phantom Zone a couple of years ago. He made his way to Smallville and managed to possess Lex. Dark Thursday? All Zod's doing. He banished me to the Phantom Zone when I tried to intervene. By the time I figured out how to activate the portal, Zod had already caused all the chaos and destruction.

"It's funny, but the aftermath of Dark Thursday had Lex and I on the same page for the first time in years. When I made it back, Zod and I faced off and I used a crystal to banish his spirit once more, freeing Lex. He had no idea what had happened or even about my involvement. He knew nothing about my Kryptonian side, but knowing he'd been possessed and was behind all that destruction left him feeling guilty. That's why he donated so many millions to help rebuild the infrastructure, and why I spent so much time helping with the relief effort."

He chuckled and shook his head, still looking out of the window.

"My time in the Phantom Zone without my powers may have left me vulnerable in other ways too. When I returned, I didn't have full use of my powers for several weeks, and working so hard on helping with the rebuilding effort took its toll on me physically. It's why I got sick and developed the cold that led to me sneezing the barn door halfway across the state!"

Just like that, Lois was taken back to their discussion in the supply room. She knew there was so much more to learn but she also had a sense of things coming full circle. So many of the terrible things that had happened in the time since she'd first arrived in Smallville were connected to Clark and his secret, and yet he was not responsible for the fact that they happened. No wonder he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders so often. She smiled brightly.

"You know, I think we've got the basis of the story. I've learned about your origins, about what it was like for you growing up, the problems you've continued to deal with, the impact on those close to you, and also why you've chosen to be the hero the city needs. You're right, we do need to save some of the really juicy stuff for another time."

"Juicy stuff?"

"Smallville, you may or may not have noticed that I haven't asked a single question about your weaknesses. Even if I knew, there is no way I would tell the readers about it. You've had to make a really tough call here in going public, and the last thing you need is an army turning up at your door. Knowing your weaknesses puts others in control."

She scooped together all her notes and stood up. Clark stared at her, mesmerized not only at how well she had taken all this, but at how she was trying to protect him at every turn. He now understood why his father had chosen her to run his election campaign despite her lack of experience. Put simply, she _got_ him.

"Before we head back to the office, I have a few chores I want to get out of the way. If you want, I can drop you off at your apartment so you can change into some dry clothes, and I'll swing by after an hour. How does that sound?" offered Clark.

Lois agreed. "Normally I would say no to that suggestion but you need to call your mom, and I know we can be back at the Planet in a second, so alright."

Within moments, she was being cradled in Clark's arms as they whooshed their way over to a quiet corner of the alley behind the Talon. Whereas the feeling before had been one of disorientation and astonishment, it was now a feeling of exhilaration.

"Man that is such a rush!" she gushed as Clark gently placed her back on terra firma. She went inside to freshen up and grab a quick coffee, and Clark dashed back to the farm. There were no farm chores to take care of. Instead, he spent a bit of time on his laptop drafting a personal letter before emailing it to his work account, and he also called his mom in Washington to explain what was about to happen. Martha couldn't mask her sense of trepidation but she understood the reasons why Clark had taken this decision. He was an adult now and had learned that his decisions had consequences, so it was his decision to make.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Clark was busy typing away at his computer as Lois dictated from her notes. They had discussed how to construct the story and which bits to leave out. Both were of the opinion that it needed just enough detail to hook the readers and keep them interested. This was where Lois' background as a tabloid journalist with the Inquisitor came in useful because she could see the fine line that differentiated the two newspapers. She knew how to keep the juicy stuff while still making it read like it belonged to the more reputable Daily Planet.

So engrossed were they in the story that neither had noticed the very peeved Randall Brady glaring at them through the window of the copy room. Tess had asked him to reassign Lois' work to reporters who were already swamped with work, and he'd been dealing with their complaints all day. His real ire lay with Lois bypassing the chain of command and going to the very top to pursue a story he knew nothing about. Tess had not been forthcoming when he enquired as to what was so important that Lois' workload had to be reassigned. He wasn't happy about Clark's workload being reassigned either, although that was relatively trivial filler fluff. Plus, he liked Clark a lot more than he did Lois. Hardly a surprise when the former was so mild-mannered and approachable while the latter was prone to casual insubordination and could bite your head off. It was fair to say Randall was not a happy bunny.

Clark was sat in his chair and Lois was perched in the spot she had found to be very comfortable ever since Clark began working at the Planet - the edge of his desk. It was close enough for their conversations to be intimate and for her to sneakily admire the form of the man beside her, yet not so close as to be invading one another's personal space. Plus, Clark never grumbled about her being there even when she only did it to annoy him. Unless her phone rang or her computer beeped to signal an incoming email, there she remained. Nobody bothered the two of them.

That last point was even more welcome now as they looked to complete the article in time to hand it over to Tess before she went home. Finally, just before 5:00, Lois felt they had the story exactly to her satisfaction. Had she been typing it herself, she might have needed another hour to go through all the corrections.

Lois went to the coffee station to grab another cup while Clark went ahead and printed the article as well as the letter he'd emailed to himself. A personal account in his own words could really endear him to the public and make them accept him more readily. He needed their acceptance as the alternative did not bear thinking about.

When he returned, Lois took the article from him. "Alright, well this is it. I hope Tess sees sense and runs with it. You ready, Smallville?"

"I hope so," Clark answered, sounding as apprehensive as he felt. The reality had hit home that he was about to have a profound effect on the world.

"Relax. She might run this place like her own personal labour camp but even she knows she can't run Linda's story. If Linda breaks the story herself, she would gain the credibility she doesn't deserve and as a freelancer, she could demand more money. That would hit Tess where it hurts - the bottom line. It makes more sense for Tess to run the story via us."

With that, Lois began to head towards the door. Clark stood there watching her for a brief second, hoping that she'd called this one right. He picked up a file from his desk, slipping the copy of his letter into it and then placed the file in his desk drawer while Lois wasn't looking. She wouldn't have queried why he had the file because he was always organising his desk, and he was often holding a file whenever he was going elsewhere in the building. Together, they headed for the elevator - next stop, Tess Mercer's office.

* * *

The rain had been relentless throughout the day but it had stopped just as the early evening rush hour started, so commuters faced a far less hectic end to their day. A projected weather system with a wide area of low pressure had been diverted by high winds at the last minute, largely bypassing the state. Nevertheless, if Tess decided to run with Lois' story, people would be waking up the following morning to the most incredible news they were ever likely to read. Was there another storm cloud on the horizon?

A glimmer of early evening light was threatening to peek in through the blinds of Tess' office as she sat against the edge of her desk. Tess had the draft of Lois' Red-Blue Blur article in her hands, and she had to blink twice to make sure she really was reading what she thought she was reading. If true, this was something far greater than a story about the Red-Blue Blur. For one thing, it explained why she had so many suspicions about Clark, and why Lex's interest in his former friend had bordered on obsession. For another, it would be the number one topic of discussion across the media, and the Daily Planet would have got the first exclusive. A conservative judgement would recommend doubling the print run to cope with the demand.

Lois and Clark were stood in Tess' office, never taking their eyes off her. Clark was wearing a shirt and tie combo he'd changed into before writing his letter, and he looked a touch nervous. Lois was wearing the outfit she had changed into back at the Talon because the clothes she'd been wearing earlier had become clingy and creased after she'd been standing in the rain for so long. Right now, she wanted to convey that she was all business, arms crossed and expectant. She knew she'd just placed the biggest story ever on Tess' desk, and she allowed herself to briefly consider the possibility that the story could put her in line for a Pulitzer.

"Is this true?" asked Tess, still reading the draft.

Lois spoke first. "Absolutely every word is the cast iron truth."

Tess looked up from the page and directly into Clark's eyes. He couldn't be sure but maybe Tess was trying to determine if there was anything non-human about his appearance. It made him more uncomfortable under her gaze and he began to fidget on the spot. What he _did_ know was that her inquisitive mind would try and connect the dots linking him to Lex. She had already asked him once about whether he was in the Arctic at the time of Lex's disappearance - on the basis of finding a boot print on the ice that matched one on the muddy ground outside the Kent farmhouse - and she had a fascination with Kryptonian crystals that had caused him a few problems in the last few months.

"I must admit, Clark," said Tess, still staring at him, "that I always thought there was something different about you. I could never tell what it was, but now I know. When you pulled me out of that bus…"

She trailed off, not sure how to finish that thought. Lois furrowed her brow at the mention of the bus. Clark had never mentioned anything about rescuing Tess from the bus explosion, and clearly Tess had gone to great lengths to hide knowledge of it from everybody. Lois wondered what Tess would be doing riding the bus to work when she had a driver courtesy of LuthorCorp. Right now though, it was less about Tess' history with Clark and more about making sure her story got published.

Tess realised that the whole thing had come about very suddenly. Just as Lois had done, she surmised that there had to be a reason why Clark would out himself not only as the city's anonymous hero, but as an alien from another planet. That was a detail he could so easily have continued to keep a secret. The idea of Clark being blackmailed seemed as obvious a reason as any, and perhaps the knowledge of his otherworldly origins were a big part of that blackmail. Considering he usually kept himself to himself, this interview represented a complete 180. But why?

"Why have you suddenly decided to come out of the closet? After all, it's not like you to be so open about yourself."

Lois was going to interject but Clark held his arm out, stopping Lois as she took a step forward. She backed down, knowing it was his moment to explain.

"Linda Lake somehow found out that I uh…wasn't from around here, and she wanted the inside scoop on all the Red-Blue Blur's activities or else she was going to go public with her version of events."

"And that would be...?"

"That I am the first wave of a hostile alien invasion." He could scarcely believe he was uttering the insinuation but he knew he needed to make it clear that Linda's version of events was far from the truth. "Let me be clear that I am absolutely not. My father sent me to Earth not just to save me, but to help protect mankind, not to destroy it. I've always tried to do the right thing, and I will continue to do so."

"I see," said Tess, putting the draft down on her desk and getting up to walk around it and sit down in her chair. She looked like a chess player considering their next move. Before she'd formulated a thought, Lois cut in.

"Tess, you _need_ to run this story. You know it would do wonders for the paper's circulation but we need to make sure the story that gets put out there is the one in Clark's own words. Not some twisted fantasy angle from Cruella de Spill. Clark's story doesn't belong in the kitty litter pages."

Lois had blurted that last point out off-the-cuff. Somehow, at that moment she had remembered what the now-deceased Senator Burke had said to her about the Inquisitor when she'd cornered him over dodgy deals that had made him a lot of money. He had questioned her credibility as a journalist and made derogatory comments about the publication she was working for. Lois felt his insult was best directed at Linda Lake's scandal-hungry visage.

Tess smiled inwardly at Lois' scathing put-downs about Linda Lake. As much as she disliked Lois for her belligerence and effortless ability to be a real pain in the ass, Tess couldn't stand Linda and her whirlwind of crap. Then again, Linda's gossip column was immensely popular. There were dozens of gossip pages out there, in print and online, and also television and radio shows dedicated to celebrity harassment. Unlike most of those, Linda's stories were always on the money, earning her a reputation for being extremely well connected. Like it or not, Linda helped sell papers and that was worth its weight in gold in an industry that was struggling. Print media was dying a slow death.

"As unusual as it might be for us to see eye-to-eye," Tess began addressing Lois, "on this occasion, I fully agree."

She then swivelled her eyes to bore into Clark. "You realise that if I run this, there's going to be a media scrum. Every media outlet is going to descend on the Daily Planet and maybe even your house. Everyone is going to want a piece of you."

"I realise that," Clark affirmed. "This is something I have thought about long before Linda Lake came along with her wild ideas. I know it doesn't just affect me, but also those I'm closest to."

It was very much blink and you'll miss it, but Clark had subconsciously stolen a glance at Lois standing beside him. It remained to be seen how this story would affect his partnership with her. It also remained to be seen how it would affect their relationship going forward. It had slowly been gaining some traction before being shunted off the rails at Chloe's wedding. They had so much to discuss yet he had no idea how to approach such a sensitive subject, and he still believed that Lois would not welcome such a discussion. He would just have to see what happens once he went public.

"OK then," said Tess. "I'll agree to run it."

"Great!" smiled Lois, patting Clark on the arm in her excitement.

"There is one other thing I'd like to add," said Clark, catching Tess' attention once more.

Lois turned to him confused. She thought he'd told her everything already. Was there another earth-shattering revelation? Clark super-sped out of the office and was back in a flash, holding the file from his desk drawer. He took out a piece of paper - the personal letter he had written. He knew there would be hundreds of questions for him and those around him, and he felt this letter would answer quite a number of them without constantly putting him in the public eye. The only way the two women in the office knew he'd left and returned once more was because of the little gust of wind that sent some of the paperwork on Tess' desk fluttering. Lois rolled her eyes and couldn't hide the grin on her face once she saw how Tess had realised what Clark had just done. Proof enough that the mild-mannered reporter with a penchant for red jackets and blue jeans was indeed the city's Red-Blue Blur. Tess was standing open-mouthed.

Clark handed Tess the piece of paper. "It's a letter to the people of Metropolis, in my own words to remove any doubt. I want you to print it alongside the article, Tess."

Tess began to pore over the prose, her eyes swaying from left to right as she herself remained rigidly still. Whatever Clark had written was clearly important. After a minute or so, Lois held out her hand and asked to read the letter. Tess handed it to her.

* * *

 _Dear citizens of Metropolis,_

 _By now you will have learned of my identity as the Red-Blue Blur. I am writing this because I believe it's important that now you know who I am, you should also know how I feel about so many things that have happened in the past, and about what I hope for in the future. Maybe I want to absolve myself of some of the guilt I've been carrying around for all these years. Maybe it is just catharsis stemming from being able to stand out in the open and finally declare that "This is what I am." Either way, I believe you deserve an explanation._

 _First of all, I want to apologise and say I'm sorry to all those people I know and have known in the past, that never knew who or what I really was because my parents and I kept my secret so well guarded. It was never a matter of trust - more that knowing about me could put people in danger. There were and still are too many people who would use what they've learned for their own ends, no matter the cost. I never wanted that for anybody but because I couldn't be truly open with people, it left a few with the impression that I was a 'closed book' or that I didn't care enough. The exact opposite is true - I care very much, and that's because I have been brought up to see the good in people. I have valued and still value my friendships past and present, so I hope those people who are only now learning about me will see that I had good reasons for not sharing this part of myself with them. Others believed I was hiding something and went to great lengths to find out what it was, putting lives in danger. There have been many times when I just wanted everyone to know, and there have been many times when I've wished I could just be a normal human being living a normal life._

 _I have been brought up with human values, allowing me to embrace and express human emotions. Some of the strongest are sorrow and regret. Sorrow for the many lives lost in the wake of my arrival in Smallville in 1989, and sorrow that subsequent events such as the second meteor shower and Dark Thursday - being directly related to though not involving me - led to more chaos and destruction and more lives ruined. My regret is that I was unable to do anything to stop the devastating impact of these events._

 _Taking on the role of the Red-Blue Blur wasn't a conscious decision, it just sort of fell into my lap. Even the name was coined by the media. I was at a crossroads in my life personally and professionally, but wanting to be there to help people had never changed. With so many people in Metropolis, I guess some day it was bound to get noticed. As an observer and with my everyday persona, I have seen people be awed, have their curiosity aroused and then be inspired to stand for truth and justice even though they could never put a face to this anonymous blur._

 _People do not need an anonymous hero to provide a positive force for good. I have learned over the years that humans have something within themselves and collectively that makes it possible for them to exact this positive change. That something is HOPE. As long as we all strive to make a positive change and don't allow fear to dictate our thoughts and deeds, it is possible for it to come about and make all our lives better._

 _I appreciate that people have embraced my Red-Blue Blur persona as a force for good in the city, and I don't take that responsibility lightly. However, I do not wish to be seen as some sort of God-like figure to be worshipped, nor am I after celebrity status. I just wish to be an ordinary guy blessed with a gift to do extraordinary things. I want my actions to inspire others to do what's right, all the while adhering to the law of the land. A good friend recently told me that the people of Metropolis go about their lives praying for a miracle to ease their fears and give them hope that things will change for the better. I do not claim to be a miracle but if I am providing hope in some way, I am happy to embrace that. Above all, I long to be accepted as I am, not be changed into what others might wish me to be._

 _Difficult though it might be (and maybe it's a bit of wishful thinking on my part), I would prefer it if people respected my right to privacy as well as that of the people around me. My decision to go public affects them just as it does me, and I don't want them to have to deal with the added scrutiny in their lives. They must be allowed to live their lives without everything revolving around me._

 _I may be from another planet but I have always been one of you. I share the same hopes and harbour the same worries as the rest of you. That's because Clark Kent is who I am, and the Red-Blue Blur is what I am. The distinction is important._

 _Thank you for reading this, and best wishes to you all. Together, we can be a real force for good._

 _Clark Kent (The Red-Blue Blur)._

* * *

Lois finished reading and blinked away the tears that had begun to form, startled by the frankly astonishing openness in his words. As formal as the presentation was, she could feel that Clark was pouring his heart out too. It was telling that Clark wanted above all to be considered normal. He had said much the same to her in the interview but for him to repeat it really made it clear to her how much he valued being treated as an equal, and not some higher power. Something else stood out for Lois, and it made her think that her initial feelings earlier in the supply room were just another case of Lois jumping the gun. Clark had verbalised the suspicions she'd had about him back at the house.

With all the other men in her life whom she'd allowed herself to get close to, they all felt they had an important purpose in life, and embracing that purpose meant they chose to focus more on what they were going to do than the people they were with. Her father more or less neglected his fatherly duties in raising Lois and Lucy, putting his role as an army General first. Likewise, childhood friend Wes Keenan was so completely focussed on joining the military as a teenager that he had little interest in chasing girls like the rest of his peers. As an environmental activist with a particular interest in the well-being of marine life, Arthur Curry was the type who would just take off to wherever he felt he needed to be, unable to commit to anything long-term with anybody. Oliver Queen was a jet-setting playboy billionaire in charge of a multinational corporation by day, and the hooded vigilante Green Arrow by night. He had openly admitted that he could offer little more than weekends to any relationship with her. These men all had noble causes, but ones they couldn't really share with her.

Clark 'cause', such as it was, was no less noble. In fact, his calling was greater perhaps than all the others combined. However, unlike the others, he was a hero who wanted to feel normal and to remain close to the people he cared most about. The others were normal people who wanted to be the hero. It was different. _He_ was different.

"I think we can run both the story and the letter. Looks like you'll be making the front page after all, Lois," said Tess.

Lois heaved a sigh of relief as Clark's shoulders relaxed. The first bit was done as they'd successfully managed to convince Tess. She knew it was a newsworthy story. The next part would be dealing with the unknown - what happens when the secret is out.

Tess picked up her phone and placed a call to Human Resources requesting copies of Clark's photos. From his online profile page, there was one with him wearing a blue t-shirt beneath his red jacket. What better way to depict Clark Kent as the Red-Blue Blur? Then she buzzed her assistant into the office. Moments later, the assistant entered.

"Put a memo out to all staff not to discuss their fellow employees with any members of the press. They won't know until tomorrow why that is necessary, but I don't want my staff to be wasting their time feeding the rumour mill. We have a paper to run."

"Right away, Miss Mercer. Should I say anything about what happens if anyone fails to comply?"

Tess' face hardened into what Lois thought was her 'business smile'. "Yes, if reporters want to keep their job, they _will_ keep their mouth shut. That'll be all."

The assistant nodded and left the office. Clark and Lois both stared at the closed door, then at one another before turning back round to Tess. She knew they were seeking an explanation so she put forth her reasoning.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm pretty sure the national media will be descending on the building. They'll be looking for quotes from anybody and everybody who knows you, Clark. They will certainly try to get a few words from you Lois. I think it's best to maintain radio silence in the immediate aftermath."

Both Clark and Lois recognised this as Tess attempting to control the impact of the story on the very newspaper that was printing the exclusive. It was a prudent move.

"Lois, I'll need you to come in as normal tomorrow. Don't worry about being a few minutes late." Lois raised an eyebrow. "I _can_ be an understanding boss."

"Does that-?" Clark started to ask before Tess interjected to answer it for him.

"Clark, you'll take the day off, fully paid of course. If you're here, it will be difficult to keep the press at bay, and I think all the other staff will want their picture taken with you. Like I said before, I have a paper to run and we can't afford to have reporters not doing their jobs."

* * *

After super-speeding their way back to Smallville, Clark stopped in the alley behind the Talon. There were puddles of water everywhere despite the rain having long since eased. He followed Lois into the building and they made their way upstairs into the apartment. There was no dizziness on her part because she had quickly got used to travelling at such an unnatural speed.

She popped her keys on the table beside the door and headed into the kitchen to put on a pot of water for coffee. Turning around, she saw Clark looking pensive.

"Big day huh?" he tried to play off his apprehension.

"I'll say. Hell of a story to come back to after Star City," she replied, trying to sound as casual as he'd been.

Clark stared at her. A million and one thoughts were going through his mind, and most of those were about what happened at the wedding. It was a complicated conversation given how he and Lana had tried once more to rekindle their relationship, and maybe now was not the best time to raise the topic. There was such a thing as information overload. He could tell Lois was tired now. Aware that she was staring back at him, he detected the sense of pride in her eyes.

"Clark?" "Lois?" they both spoke in unison. Both smiled and Lois gestured with her hand for him to speak first.

"Lois, I just wanted to say thank you for listening to what I had to say. I wasn't sure how you'd take it. I was hoping you'd be OK with it but you've been more than OK with it. You've been amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you, and I'm so glad I told you now. I know I can trust you, and I know I can count on your support whatever happens now."

"Of course you can!" Lois replied with a teasing air of nonchalance that made Clark instinctively roll his eyes.

Lois' confident air was betrayed by the onset of tiredness as a yawn escaped her lips - the early start and jet lag having finally caught up with her. She was inwardly relieved as that thing nagging away at the back of her mind - what happened at the wedding - was not something she was comfortable with discussing right now, if ever. Clark took the hint.

"Well, I guess I'll head back."

"What are you going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I'll probably wake up as usual to do my chores, and I'm hoping I get a chance to speak to Chloe. She's been tied up at Isis today, and tomorrow Jimmy is being transferred to Met Gen."

Lois chuckled at the mention of chores. Clark was nothing if not grounded. "It's so new to me that I forgot about some of the things you normally do. That reminds me, I'll have to come up with a new name for you. Clark doesn't sound like a superhero's name, the Red-Blue Blur is a mouthful, and somehow Smallville doesn't cut it anymore. Any suggestions, Mr Kent?"

"If there's a name out there, I am sure you'll find it, Miss Lane!"

Lois smiled brightly, which automatically made Clark respond in kind. Both had really missed the easy banter.

"Well, I've an early start tomorrow by the looks of things, so it's coffee, some Chunky Monkey and an early night for me to shake off this jet lag."

Clark nodded and headed to the door, opening it. Just before he stepped out, Lois called out to him.

"Clark?"

He turned around in time to see Lois walk over to him and wrap her arms around him in a big hug. Her head rested against his chest and he could smell the faint notes of cinnamon from her shampoo. After a few seconds, she released him and looked up at him.

"Thank you."

"For what, Lois?"

She smiled. "For everything. For all those times you've helped me when I never knew it. For always putting other people's needs before your own. For trusting me enough to tell me your secret. For allowing me to share it with the world. But most of all, for just being Smallville."

He smiled back in acknowledgment. It wasn't every day that Lois spoke without hiding behind her carefully-crafted façade. He could not have hoped for Lois to take his revelation any better than she had. Behind all the banter and the bravado, he'd discovered that Lois had a side to her that he found incredibly appealing. Behind the rough edges, there was a softness where her real personality lay, and he believed it fit her extremely well. She was utterly unique and he was genuinely glad he'd divulged his secret to her. If ever there was a possibility of something more between them, she deserved to know the truth about him.

"You're welcome Lois."

"Just know that whatever happens from now on, I will always be firmly in your corner Smallville."

"You're sticking with Smallville I see."

"Give me some time to figure it out."

"Don't," Clark said with a note of insistence.

"Huh?"

"Don't change it. It used to bug me a lot when you called me that but I've gotten used to it. You don't realise but it's the little things like that which make me feel normal, like I belong here."

"OK."

"OK. Well, I'll see ya then, Lois." Clark stepped out of the door, heading back downstairs. He stopped at the bottom to get one last look at Lois who was leaning against her doorway, framed by the light coming from the apartment, before he headed on out.

"Yeah, see ya," whispered Lois to the spot at the bottom of the stairs.

They now had tomorrow to look forward to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

The incessant electronic screaming of his alarm clock stirred him from his slumber. It was 5:30 in the morning, and the light of a new dawn was filtering its way through the curtains. Turning over to quell the irritating sound, Clark sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He hadn't managed to properly fall asleep until just before 3:30 as his state of anxiety left him tossing and turning. Now, despite the lack of rest, he had to face the day. Climbing out of bed, he released a yawn and headed for the bathroom.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he observed the reflection staring back at him as though it were a whole other person. A serious case of bed head and noticeable crow's feet around the eyes notwithstanding, this was a face that was going to be known to millions. The first of the morning papers would be being delivered right about now, so the true identity of the Red-Blue Blur was already out in the open. Not only that, but there was an indefinable yet tangible change in his relationship with Lois, so much so that he realised he hadn't actually thought about Lana ever since he'd first told Lois the truth about himself. As though that very act represented a break with the past and a future full of possibilities. Telling her had made her warm to him in a way he could never have expected. What did it all mean? Sighing, he grabbed his toothbrush and began to clean his teeth.

Back in his bedroom, he quietly put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before heading downstairs, leaving the door ajar as Shelby remained in the corner of the room snoozing away in his doggy bed. He was sorely tempted to switch on the television to see if he was on the news but he knew he'd struggle to concentrate on the task at hand if he let himself get sidetracked. Shaking his head, he grabbed his jacket and headed out to the barn to begin his list of chores for the day. They would not take long, and the crisp air with the faintest trace of moisture would surely help clear his mind. This was the biggest day of his life.

* * *

Linda stepped into the brisk morning air outside her apartment to clear her head. She'd been working late on a piece concerning a former beauty queen and a high-ranking government official, and she would be calling her editor a little later to discuss submitting her article on the scandal. She'd been so engrossed in delivering this sordid tale that she had neglected to follow the breaking story on the morning news. In truth, the scandal story wasn't her sole focus because she still wanted to run into Clark Kent and find out if he'd given any more thought to her offer. Salacious articles might pay the bills but she had her sights set on joining the big leagues where she would get to call the shots. Exclusive access to the Red-Blue Blur and his activities was her meal ticket.

As a freelancer, she didn't have an office at the Planet but then, she didn't really need one. She was making a reasonable amount of money with her freelance work, and it allowed her to appear on television whenever a gossip soundbite was required. She envisaged many more of these somewhat lucrative appearances once Clark agreed to her proposals. _And he will_ , she surmised. He had far too much to lose by not agreeing.

She was heading for the coffee shop a block from her apartment when she passed the newsstand. The Daily Planet had centre stage as usual but it was the smiling visage of Clark Kent clad in the familiar red and blue that caused her to double-take. Stopping and sliding closer to the newsstand, the headline made her eyes practically bug out of their sockets.

"CLARK KENT ALIEN FROM KRYPTON!" screamed the headline.

The sub-heading read "Red-Blue Blur exposed!" with the by-line denoting that the exclusive was penned by a certain Lois Lane. Reaching out and picking up a copy, Linda quickly scanned through the contents of the article. It mentioned Clark's alien origins, his life growing up on a farm in Smallville, his first job as a cub reporter for the newspaper, and the reasons why he became the Red-Blue Blur to help protect the people of Metropolis and give them a symbol of hope untainted by agendas and politics.

Linda's right eye began to twitch, her teeth began to grind, her blood began to boil and the colour in her cheeks was coming through from beneath the copious layers of make-up. She was livid. Clark had turned to his reporting partner to publish his story, setting the narrative from his own viewpoint but worse, gazumping Linda's chance of making a name for herself with the scoop of the century. Not to mention that there would be zero interest in her latest tale of scandal. In a fit of pique, Linda tossed the newspaper to the floor, grunting furiously before stomping off, ignoring the cry of "Hey lady!" from the annoyed vendor and the surprised faces of the two other people standing around next to the newsstand. Linda walked right past the coffee shop, heading towards the Daily Planet building just a few blocks away.

* * *

Returning to the house a little later having taken three times longer than usual to complete his chores if only to occupy his mind with something needing his immediate attention, he opened the door to the house only for Shelby to leap out, looking to stretch his legs and empty his bladder. Clark greeted the dog with a smile and a scratch behind the ears, taking a second or two to look around outside. Everything was as still as it usually was in the mornings, with the only discernable noise coming from of the trees swaying in the wind, and the creaking of the rusty weather vane on the barn roof. It was time to grab a shower.

When he re-emerged downstairs, freshly showered and changed, it was time for some breakfast. He didn't feel like cooking anything so he settled for a bowl of cereal and some orange juice from the fridge. His thoughts drifted back to the momentous day ahead of him and before he knew it, he had reached for the remote control and switched on the television. Flicking through the channels, Clark Kent was the hottest topic in town.

* * *

The rear entrance of the Daily Planet had been left closed deliberately to keep out the assembled media and allow the staff inside to get on with their job, so the only way into the building was through the revolving doors of the main entrance. Extra security had been drafted in to help maintain order, and a number of Met PD officers were keeping an eye on the hundred or so members of the press corps and at least as many members of the general public, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the alien hero of the city. It was through this gauntlet that Lois would have to emerge on the other side but once she had been spotted by a couple of eager beavers, it seemed as though the entire throng had descended upon her. The flash of cameras and the barrage of questions were relentless as reporters yelled over the top of one another, trying to get some insight. She kept her head down and avoided eye contact, moving at a pace brisk enough to appear strong and confident rather than nervous and desperate.

"Miss Lane, Miss Lane!"

"Miss Lane, how does it feel to have landed a major exclusive with the Red-Blue Blur?"

"Miss Lane, how does it feel to be friends with a real hero?"

"Miss Lane, are we gonna see more Red-Blue Blurs helping people in other cities?"

"Miss Lane, will Clark Kent continue to be a reporter at the Daily Planet?"

"Miss Lane, do you think this story can win you a Pulitzer?"

There were so many different questions that the vast majority whizzed by her and she couldn't be sure of which media outlets those bombarding her with questions were working for, even if they had mentioned it. She continued to squeeze through the assembled throng, holding her hand in front of her face and squinting to shield her eyes from all the bright camera flashes going off. Microphones were being thrust in her face from all angles, and she uttered "No comment" repeatedly and increasingly insistently, addressing nobody in particular. Once she reached the revolving doors, she spotted the burly and armed security personnel guarding the gate. Showing one of them her ID, he dutifully stepped behind her to shield her from the jostling while warning the reporters and photographers to stay back. Taking a final look at the scrum behind her, her eyes locked onto a figure standing just to one side right in amongst the pack, eyeballing her back with a look that spoke of both fury and maybe a little grudging respect. Linda Lake had shown up in person.

Once Lois was through the doors and into the lobby, she felt like she could finally breathe. Tess had definitely done the right thing by advising Clark to stay away.

* * *

Clark had been watching the scene unfold on television, and while he hadn't initially spotted any familiar faces, just the masks of desperation and persistence, he soon picked out a particular and familiar face in the middle of it all. He felt bad for putting her through it but he also knew she was tough enough to hold her ground. It was apparent to him that she still looked a little tired, but the little twitch in his pants was something he was finding to be happening increasingly frequently whenever he got his first glimpse of her. Some people find that their heart skips a beat, others feel their stomachs doing back flips, but he apparently got a little twitch down south. That had to mean something.

Lois was wearing a dark grey pantsuit over a burgundy blouse, and she'd left her hair hanging down. He wondered when it was that her hair had become darker. He was positive that her hair was blonde during her stint as a reluctant dancer at the Windgate. Or that time in her bathroom...

 _Twitch._

He shuffled in his seat and peered closer. Had she changed it while she was away in Star City or had she been dyeing it for longer? _Was_ it dyed or was it her natural colour? Whatever it was, it made him sigh. Lois was utterly gorgeous, and he was asking himself why she didn't wear her hair like this more often. The brunette look really suited her and made her more sophisticated but above all, sexy. Seeing, hearing or thinking about her no longer brought forth the groan of irritation it once had. Now, it was a sight for sore eyes, music to his ears and nirvana for his soul.

Zipping up her red dress a few months ago had brought a blush to his cheeks and a twitch in his pants because she looked so unbelievably hot. She had looked fantastic at Chloe's engagement party, still smouldering after waking up with a hangover the next day dressed in his football jersey, but his thoughts went back to Lois in her orange outfit at Chloe's wedding. There was a seismic shift in his feelings for her that day, but seeing her once she returned from Star City, and seeing her on television now, he now knew for certain what he had been denying for the past month. He, Clark Kent, had fallen in love with her, Lois Lane.

He frowned. Seeing her on the television attempting to wade through a crowd of reporters brought home just how big an impact all of this would have on the people closest to him. Was it all destined to end in tears? His protective instinct was even stronger than it had been even yesterday. Fighting the urge to swoop in and take Lois away, he allowed himself to believe that once inside the building, she would be safe. But for how long? How long would it be before someone got to her in order to try and get to him? All he could really do was see how events played out.

* * *

Instead of taking the elevator, Lois walked to the side of the lobby and headed for the stairs. The bullpen was only one floor down. On her way down, she became aware of the various co-workers muting their conversations upon spotting her. Were they annoyed at having had some of her workload fobbed off onto them? Were they jealous that she had nabbed the biggest scoop the esteemed newspaper had ever had? Her steps became more and more careful and tentative the closer she got to the basement. She offered a nervous smile.

She saw a large group of reporters and staff gathered in the bullpen all reading the latest edition, and once they saw her coming in, they burst into a spontaneous round of applause which caught Lois by surprise. The smiles appeared to be genuine, especially from her intern Jeff Hage who was new there and trying desperately to make a good impression on her. In truth, his diligence and his eagerness to seek her approval had slowly endeared him to her although she masked it with indifference. That only made him try harder, and secretly she appreciated it. Maybe she was liked more than she thought.

"Congratulations Lane!" piped up one of her bullpen colleagues.

"Great job!" said another.

Overhearing a conversation to one side where two other female reporters were exclaiming that it should have been obvious that Clark was this big hero because he always came across as nice, polite and helpful, she grinned inwardly. _Yeah, it should have been obvious ages ago!_ From behind her came a familiar voice, one that sounded less enthused but was also putting on a front of professional courtesy. It was Randall, and he had something to say.

"Lane, looks like you're going to the big leagues. The boss has set aside an office a few doors down from hers. She wants to see you as soon as."

Lois couldn't hide the astonishment in her voice. "You mean I'm getting promoted?"

"Personal request from Miss Mercer. Make a meal of it, Lane!" Again, Randall's words sounded hollow.

With that, he headed over to his office on the other side of the bullpen. Lois didn't know how to react. This was a good thing, right? Smiling sheepishly at the gathered throng inside the bullpen, she walked towards the elevator up to Tess' floor, grabbing a copy of the latest edition from the stand beside it. It was the first opportunity she'd had to read her own story in print, and she basked in the brief respite of having an elevator car all to herself.

Staring at the smiling face of her partner brought a smile to her face - a genuine smile of happiness, not the nervy smile her colleagues in the bullpen had seen. Clark might have had a reason for going public now, but more important to her was the fact that he'd put his trust in her and been so open about himself and his place in the world. Thanks to him, her career in journalism was about to go stratospheric.

Over the years, despite numerous claims that he found her to be little more than an annoyance, Clark had never stopped being a friend. He would always listen, he'd always let her rant and rave until she was done, he never judged her despite her many questionable choices, and instead was quick to offer consoling words or encouragement. And he still found time to trade some gentle banter. Because of this, Clark had managed to do something very few people got to do, and that was to see the real Lois. The one who didn't mask her fears behind sarcasm and nonchalance.

Though Lois had never been a conscientious student, her time spent travelling from country to country and from military base to military base had given her ample opportunity to read a variety of literature, including philosophy. So many armed forces personnel had recommended that she read in order to expand her horizons. She of course often found it to be boring but a few ideas jumped out and caused her to think. One of them was by the Greek philosopher Socrates, and it seemed particularly relevant to her now.

 _Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down._

Her eyes began to fill with tears and her index finger lightly traced his jaw line on the photograph. She, Lois Lane, had undoubtedly fallen in love with him, Clark Kent.

* * *

Linda sat at the desk in her apartment with the television on in the background. The news channels were dedicating their entire coverage to the morning's breaking story, and even the breakfast shows saw the presenters eulogising the wonderfulness that was the Red-Blue Blur. It was enough to make her want to puke.

"Mark my words Clark Kent," she growled at the screen. "You may have beaten me this time, but you won't be ready for what I've lined up next. That loud bitch buddy of yours at the Planet won't be able to help you, and neither will your mom."

She sneered on the word 'mom', reaching for her phone to scroll down her contacts list. She was going to call her contact in Washington and get them to put the heat on Senator Kent for threatening national security by harbouring the first wave of a hostile alien invasion. Linda promised that she would be front and centre once the shit hit the fan. The gloves were now off.

A storm was brewing, and the world didn't yet know it.

* * *

 **FIN.**


End file.
